Battery-grid



w. E. HOLLAND AND 1. M'. NNNNN N R.

BATTERY GRID;

7 APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9| l9l9. 4 .7 1 Patented Jan. 4,1921.

3 SHEETSSHEETI W. E. HOLLAND AND J. M. SKINNER.

BATTERY GRID. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 19m.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W. E. HOLLAND AND J. M. SKINNER= BATTERY GRID.

m 9 1T 4 m s my T TO dw .ms m M P an M aw N M D E L n N o H A C u P DI A57729? JZ ZQS/ID I-EZZ so disposed 1 UNITED STATES PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF PATENT OFFICE.

OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, OF PHILADELPHIA,

v BATTERY-GRID.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed January 9, 1919. Serial No. 270,416.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VALTER E. Honitixo and Jam-1s M. Sumner, citizensof the United States, residing in Philadel ihia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented Battery-Grids, of which the following is a specification.

One object of our invention is to provide a structure especially adaptedfor use as a grid or supporting frame for storage battery plates, whichshall have its members that while it may be made as a casting, itisparticularly adapted for manufacture by .acoining process or bysubjecting a blank to pressure between suitable dies.

We further desire to provide a practical form. of relatively thin, lightbattery grid which may be struck up or shaped by form-, ing dies ofrelatively simple construction and 'which shall haveits parts sodisposed as to effectually retain the active material of a finishedplate in place under conditions of use as well as insure good andextensive electrical contact between its frame and said active material;-the construction of the grid being such that in the finishedplatethere is a maximum amount of active material at and adjacent thefaces thereof where it will be the most useful while a large proportionof the grid metal is at the center plane where it is covered andprotected from oxidation with active material.

Another object of our invention is to propossessing parativelv largesect-ion, so disposed as to serve as main supports and conductors, alsoincludes a large number of relatively light, thin members formed anddisposed to insure good electrical contact with the active material andserving as intermediate supporting members between the larger mem bers.

These objects and other advantageous ends we attain as hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a storage battery grid constructedaccording to our invention; v

Fig. 2 is a vertical 2-2, Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation ofone' section on the line members 1-7,is none section or panel of the grid shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4- 1. Fig. .3, showing theactive material in the position occupied in the finished' plate;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation illustrating a slightly modified form of ourinvention;

F 6 is a section on the line 6-6, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of a panel of another modified form ofgrid;

Fi s. 8 and 9 are transverse sections on the lines 8-8 and 99,respectively, Fig. 7

Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive are elevations of panels showing othermodifications of our invention Figs. 13 to 15 inclusive are transversesections on the lines 13-13, Fig. 10, 14,-14, Fig. 11 and 15-15,Fig.'12; and

Fig. 16 is a transverse section on an enlarged scale furtherillustrating the detail construction of a part of the grid shown in Fig.10.

In Figs. 1 to l inclusive 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent the marginal framemembers of a storage battery grid which is shown as of substantiallyrectangular outline and has projecting from one end of the last of saidmembers a lug or strip portion In this particular case the side members1 and 3 are connected by a series of pa 'allel spaced transverse members6 and the top and bot- .tom members 2 and 4 are similarly conthemarginal members are substantially rectangular in section but withsufficient draft or taper to permit of their being formed .either by acasting or coining operation.

In each ot-the panels is formed a. relatively thin web 8 lying in aplane substantially midway between and parallel with the planes of thetwo faces of the grid, and formed in the present instance oftwointersecting members extending diagonally of the panel. Each web hasthus four openings and while relatively light and thin as compared withtliesupporting. frame the less suliiciently and cooperating with themvorally rectangular still and heavy to perform its fllHCtlOHSEEIS anauxiliary member.

grid having the above described construction is not only of a relativelysimple form but has its parts so disposed as to permit of easymanufacture by a pressing or coining process such as that described andclaimed in our application for U. S. Patent No. ZUUJJS, dated October29, 1918, or by the process of our application No. 260.194. datedOctober 29, 1918, as well as by the common casting process. lVith such arelatively strong and yet light construetion we have found that astorage battery plate made by applying active material to fill in thevarious panels flush with the faces of the grid is likewise relativelystrong and light with said material not only firmly held in place in thegrid but also in electrical engagement with the relatively extendedsurfaces provided by the webs 8. It is especially to be noted thatinasmuch as these webs are embedded in and inclosed by the activematerial. they do not reduce in any way the superficial or exposed areaof the latter although they serve to provide low resistance paths forthe current flowing between all parts of this material and the niainframe members, thus insuring that the plate as a whole shall possessrelatively high capacity and condiictivity.

By a slight modification of our invention we may provide a relativelyheavy main marginal frame 9-12. preferably of genform which serves tosup port two series of intersecting frame members 13 so arranged asto-define a series of diamond shaped panels and themselves ofsubstantially diamond-shaped section. As before there is in each of thepanels a perforated web indicated at 14. Figs. Sand (3,. consisting of arelatively thin metal sheet, which like the web 8 of Figs. 1 and 2,' isintegral with the mainframe members and lies in a plane sarily midwaybetween the. planes of the faces of the grid. In this case theperforalions in each web are of diamond shaped outline, so that ineffect such web consists of two parallel elements extending between thecenters of opposite sides of each panel so as to intersect each other.

i k-cording to another modification of our invention the frame' providedby the main frame members 6 {inc 7 has its web formed with a series ofparallel transversely elongated perforations so that in effect itconsists of a series of thin parallel strips or plates 15, Figs. 7-9. Inorder to strengthen these as well as to increase their surface availablefor engagement with the active material, we so form the grid that thelongitudinal edges of each of said strips 15 are projected in oppositedirections at right angles to the general plane ofthe web. In

preferably though not necesorder to thus form the web we preferablydisplace or force out the material ordinarily occupying the openings orpcrforations, the edges 16 of the latter terminating in planes below theplanes of the outside faces of the. grid as defined by the frame members (3 and 7, so that as before no part of the web is exposed on theouter faces of the finished plate which thus possesses a maximum exposedsurface of active material.

The web of the grids having diamond shaped'panels may be formed as inFigs 7 to 9, by providing it with parallel elongated ]')erforations asshown in "Figs. 12 and 15, so that said web is divided into a member ofthin parallel strips 17 extending between two of the opposite sides 13of each panel .and having their edges projected at right angles to theirbodies.

in another form of our invention (Figs. 10, 13 and 16), we form. the webwith a series of circular perforations 18 from the edges of which thedisplaced material extends in the form of jagged or serrated projections19 at right angles to its general plane. Obviously certain of theseextensions may be formed to project from one face of the web and certainothers from the opposite faces thereof.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the form of theperforations in the web of the various panels may be indefinitely variedwithout departing from our v invention and the material displaced fromthe openings formed may be either removed or may be projectedsubstantially at right angles to the plane of the web,the arrangementbeing such that any projections terminate preferably some distance belowthe planes defined by the opposite faces of the main frame members sothat wl1en active material has been applied there is no portion of anyof the webs exposed. v

Another practical form of web is constructed as-shown in Figs. 11 and14: where we have shown a grid panel in which the flat thin web hastriangular perforations 20 each having a projecting lip or extension 21of generally triangular form.

In any case our invention is characterized by the provision of series.of intersecting relatively heavy main frame members arranged to definepanels of the desired form in each of which is a perforated web formedby a thin generally flat sheet of metal in tegral with said framemembers formed to lie substantially midway between the two faces of thegrid and having openings made either with or without projecting edge portions. The active material applied to such a grid completely inclosesthe various webs of the panels, which, having relatively largesuperficial areas, insure that there shall be good electrical connectionbetween all parts of said material and the main frame members. Said websalso serveto lock the active, material in.place,rsince it-extendsthrough their openings and is agglomerated or so held together that itdoes not easily become disintegrated. The plates made with gridsconstructed in accordance with our invention are lighter as well ashigher in conductivity and capacity for a given structural strength thanit has h-ithertobeen commercially practicable to construct and inaddition are well adapted for manufacture by coining'or pressing fromblank'sheets or. cast blanks.

We claim:

1. A grid consisting of main frame members'; with integral relativelythin perforate d webs of sheet metal extending between saidframemembers.

2. A grid consistingof main intersecting frame members defining openpanels; with relatively thin fiat perforated webs of sheet metal in saidpanels substantially midway between the plane s- -oftheopposite faces ofthe grid.

-3. A grid consisting of marginal frame members and intersecting mainframe members supported thereby in positions to define open panels; withintegral relatively thin perforated webs of sheet metal mountedrespectively in the panels and lying in a plane substantially midwaybetween the planes defined by the opposite faces of said main framemembers.

4. A grid consisting 'of main frame mem bers, arranged toodefine openpanels, each having mounted in it an integral web of relatively thinsheet metal havingopenings provided with edge portions pro ect1ng at,

right angles to its plane.'

5. A grid having main intersecting frame members defining open panels;and webs of thin sheet metal in said panels having sen rated portionsprojecting at right angles to ,6. A grid consisting of a series of mainintersecting frame members defining open tively.

panels; and relatively thin, fiat laterally extended auxiliary membersin each of said panels between opposite portions thereof.

7. A grid consisting of a marginal frame and relatively heavyintersecting frame members defining open panels; with relatively lightfiat like web in each of said panels lying inv a plane substantiallymidway between the planes of the opposite faces of said frame members.

8'. A grid formed of a compressed body of metal including relativelyheavy main frame members defining open panels; and relatively light fiatperforated webs of thin sheet metal mounted in said panels respec- 9. Astora e battery grid of compressed metal including relatively heavy mainframe members defining open panels; with relatively light flatperforated webs of thin sheet metal mounted in said panels respectively,and having their marginal portions serrated and projected at rightanglesto their plane.

10. A storage battery relatively hea'vyymain framemembers arranged todefine open panels; with webs for said panels consisting of thinperforated sheets of metal, the marginal portions of certain ofsaidperforations projecting at right angles to their plane in onedirection and the similar portions of others of said perforationsprojecting in an opposite direction.

11. A storage battery grid consisting of relatively heavy main framemembers of.

substantially diamond shaped section; with webs of thin fiat. sheetmetal mounted in panels defined by said main frame members and lying ina plane parallel to the planes defined by the faces of said main framemembers.

their plane.

In witness whereof we afiiX our signatures.

WALTER E. HOLLAND. JAMES M. SKINNER.

members constituting a sheet grid consisting of,v

